Toy shooting gallery with magnetically held targets

ABSTRACT

A toy target gallery made from a flat pattern of cardboard folded to gallery shape. The gallery is also foldable in upon itself within a base box for storage and shipping with a supply of soft nosed darts and a dart gun also contained therein. Empty food or drink cans having steel bottoms are held in place as targets by magnets from which they are dislodged when solidly struck by a dart projectile fired by a player from the dart gun.

0 United States Patent 1191 1111 3,817,528 Stuhler [4 June 18, 1974 TOY SHOOTING GALLERY WITH 1,996,986 4/1935 Weinberg 273/105 R MAGNETICALLY H D TARGETS 2,455,185 11/1948 May 273/105 R 3,428,320 2/ 1969 Yurkinas 273/102 A [76] Inventor: Eudora E. Stuhler, 2502 18th St.,

Plano, Tex. 7507 Primary Examiner-Ant0n O. Oechsle [22] Filed: June 16 1972 Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Warren H. Kintzinger [21] Appl. No.: 263,404

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 273/ 102.4, 273/1 M, 273/102 S, A toy target gallery made from a flat pattern of card- 273/102 A board folded to gallery shape. The gallery is also fold- [51] Int. Cl A63b 71/02 able in upon itself within a base box for storage and [58] Field of Search 273/102 R, 102 S, 105 R, shipping with a supply of soft nosed darts and a dart 273/102 A, 102.1 R, 102.1 C, 102.4, 1 M; gun also contained therein. Empty food or drink cans 46/45, 236-242 having steel bottoms are held in place as targets by magnets from which they are dislodged when solidly [56] References Cited struck by a dart projectile fired by a player from the UNITED STATES PATENTS daft 8""- 1,536,436 5/1925 Kolinski 273/1 M 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures TOY SHOOTING GALLERY WITH MAGNETICALLY HELD TARGETS This invention relates in general to toy amusement marksmanship devices and, in particular, to a toy target range with a target gallery having steel bottom target cans held by magnetic discs mounted on rods in the gallery that are shot at by a dart gun firing soft nosed darts.

Many existing toy target practice units on the market have been quite expensive, bulky if constructed to a reasonably desired size, and are in some instances not entirely safe. Further, storage and/or shipment problems are excessive in many instances.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an inexpensive toy target gallery using soft headed darts fired from a dart gun at steel (or iron) bottomed empty cans held in the gallery by magnetic discs mounted on rods.

Another object is to provide a toy target gallery of considerable size foldable to a relatively small package for shipping and storage.

A further object is to have a toy target gallery having good areas for product advertising and sales promotion.

Features of the invention useful in accomplishing these objects include, in a toy target gallery, a flat pattern of cardboard that may be folded to the gallery shape and also in upon itself within a base box for storage and shipping with a supply of darts and the dart gun also contained therein. The gallery also has combination side to side frame and magnet support rods. Empty food or drink cans having steel or iron bottoms are held in place as targets by the magnetic discs from which they are dislodged when solidly struck by a soft nosed dart projectile fired by a player from a dart gun. Suction cups are used on some darts as the soft nosing material to minimize dart rebound.

Inthe drawingi FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a toy target range shown with a soft material faced dart fired thereat and a dart gun used therefore according to the invention;

' FIG. 2, a plan view of the fiat material, such as corrugated cardboard, pattern used to fold to the target range gallery of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a perspective view of the box that the flat material pattern of FIG. 2 has been folded to for shipment or storage;

7 FIG. 4, a perspective view of the target range gallery partially unfolded from the box state of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5, a perspective view of a target gallery rod with target can mounting magnets fastened thereto for suspending magnetic attracted material based target cans indicated in phantom; and,

FIG. 6, a perspective view of a target gallery rod such as that of FIG. 5 turned to support the target cans vertically above the magnet discs to make dislodgement more difficult than when the cans are suspended only by magnetic attraction.

Referring to the drawing:

The target range gallery of FIG. 1 is shown to be equipped with transverse plastic or wood rods 11 mounted to extend between opposite side walls 12A and 12B of the gallery housing 13 that is made of corrugated cardboard. Rods 11, three of which are shown in the illustrated embodiment, may have two or three magnet discs 14 mounted thereon as by a banding adhesive in order that cans 15 having steel bottoms may be suspended from the magnetic discs as targets. The magnets may be in the form of discs 14 shown, donuts or any other shape suitable to the use of holding target cans 15. These targets are dislodged from the magnetic discs 14 by soft material 16 faced darts l7 fired by dart gun 18 although other projectiles such as bean bags tossed at the targets could be used in another form of the target game. Soft nosed arrows shot from bows could also be used. Actually the dart soft material 16 facing assumes the form of suction cups on darts 17 with some target range galleries to minimize dart bounce back. When struck by an accurate dart shot a can 15 falls away and back down into the bottom box portion 19 of the gallery housing 13. Further, the magnet discs 14 may be staggered on one rod 1 1 from their position on another rod 11 as shown in FIG. 1. Still further, the rods 11 may be turned from the target can 15 suspended state of FIGS. 1 and 5 to the target can 15 supported vertically above the magnetic discs 14 to make target can 15 dislodgment more difficult. The target range gallery housing 13 is formed from the flat cardboard pattern 20 having the bottom portion 21 that folds to form bottom box portion 19 of housing 13, a central portion 22 that folds into three housing 13 back sections 23, 24 and 25, and opposite side enclosure sections 26A and 26B, 27A and 27B, and 28A and 28B. These opposite side enclosure sections have spacing cut outs therebetween on each side to facilitate side section positioning to overlap with some rod 11 end mounting fastener bolt and washer assemblies 29 extended through respective sets of openings 30. Bolt assemblies 31 passed through lower openings 30 and 32 also serve the funcation of holding the lower forward comers of the opposite side enclosure sections 26A and 283 in desired overlap within the box 19 and with bolt assemblies 29 the three housing 13 back sections 23, 24 and 25 in segmented arched relation as shown. It is of interest to note that the target range gallery housing 13 may be folded from the flat cardboard pattern 20 to fit within the bottom box portion 19 as shown in FIG. 3 with the rods 11 with magnetic discs 14, darts l7, and dart gun 18 also conveniently contained therewithin.

Thus there is hereby provided a safe low cost shooting gallery quite suitable for sale as a toy and particularly well suited for canned food or drink promotion. The targets are empty cans having steel bottoms that do not have to be supplied with the game so, a minimum purchase and use of canned goods is required to obtain the empty target cans. Obviously, the food or drink advertising promotion possibilities are excellent. The size of the target gallery area presents large areas exposed in all directions suitable for product advertising that is also useful for display purposes at retail outlets and the empty target cans identify specific products. The target gallery folds into its own container for easy inexpensive shipment, distribution and storage. Please note that with another embodiment the bottom box 19 may be eliminated to further reduce size, shipping weight and expense in which event the foldable cardboard pattern without bottom box portion 21 along with the other parts shipped therewith may be encapsolated in plastic. With either of the embodiments the magnet support rods 11 also provide stiffening structure for the target galleries.

Wherein this invention is herein illustrated and described with respect to specific embodiments hereof, it should be realized that various changes may be made without departing from the essential contributions to the art made by the teachings hereof.

I claim:

1. In a toy shooting gallery using projectiles launched thereat, a plurality of magnetic means discs for mounting empty magnetic material bottomed cans subject to being dislodged from said magnatic means discs and falling when struck by projectiles launched thereat; a target gallery can holding structure; support means for said magnetic means discs in said target gallery can holding structure including non-magnetic transverse support structural means in the form of a plurality of rods; said magnetic means discs being a plurality of permanent type magnets, directly rigidly mounted on said non-magnetic transverse support structural means rods; wherein said gallery includes, a semi-enclosure structure open from the front having a back and two opposite gallery sides extending forward from connection to the back and extended upward from lower sup port edges; and with said non-magnetic transverse support structural means rods being rotatably attached to and extended between and joining said opposite gallery sides; and wherein said gallery semi-enclosure structure two opposite sides are segmented sectioned sides, and said back is bent to more slanted slope with increased height with bends in alignment with spacing between the segmented sections of said two opposite sides; and transverse support structural means rod end connective means extended through overlapped adjacent portions of said segmented sections of the two opposite sides.

2. The toy shooting gallery of claim 1, wherein said gallery semi-enclosure structure includes a bottom support base box section; and wherein said gallery semienclosure structure is made of one flat sheet of cardboard folded to shape; and said gallery semi-enclosure structure side and back sections are foldable and sized for enclosure within said bottom support base box section for shipping or storage.

3. The toy shooting gallery of claim 1, wherein said transverse support structural means are rotatable for positioning said plurality of permanent type magnets to hold magnetic material based cans in suspension by magnetic attraction therebeneath; and said transverse support structural means being rotatable to a position for holding magnetic material based cans above the magnets for more difficult target can dislodgment from the holding magnets. 

1. In a toy shooting gallery using projectiles launched thereat, a plurality of magnetic means discs for moUnting empty magnetic material bottomed cans subject to being dislodged from said magnatic means discs and falling when struck by projectiles launched thereat; a target gallery can holding structure; support means for said magnetic means discs in said target gallery can holding structure including non-magnetic transverse support structural means in the form of a plurality of rods; said magnetic means discs being a plurality of permanent type magnets, directly rigidly mounted on said non-magnetic transverse support structural means rods; wherein said gallery includes, a semienclosure structure open from the front having a back and two opposite gallery sides extending forward from connection to the back and extended upward from lower support edges; and with said non-magnetic transverse support structural means rods being rotatably attached to and extended between and joining said opposite gallery sides; and wherein said gallery semi-enclosure structure two opposite sides are segmented sectioned sides, and said back is bent to more slanted slope with increased height with bends in alignment with spacing between the segmented sections of said two opposite sides; and transverse support structural means rod end connective means extended through overlapped adjacent portions of said segmented sections of the two opposite sides.
 2. The toy shooting gallery of claim 1, wherein said gallery semi-enclosure structure includes a bottom support base box section; and wherein said gallery semi-enclosure structure is made of one flat sheet of cardboard folded to shape; and said gallery semi-enclosure structure side and back sections are foldable and sized for enclosure within said bottom support base box section for shipping or storage.
 3. The toy shooting gallery of claim 1, wherein said transverse support structural means are rotatable for positioning said plurality of permanent type magnets to hold magnetic material based cans in suspension by magnetic attraction therebeneath; and said transverse support structural means being rotatable to a position for holding magnetic material based cans above the magnets for more difficult target can dislodgment from the holding magnets. 